Copyright Provisions and restrictions on Copying: This Ontario Ministry of- the Environment work is protected by Crown copyright (unless otherwise indicated), which is held by the Queen's Printer for Ontario. It may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes if credit is given and Crown copyright is acknowledged. It may not be reproduced, in all or in part, part, for any commercial purpose except under a licence from the Queen's Printer for Ontario. For information on reproducing Government of Ontario works, please contact Service Ontario Publications at cony rijs,,htContario.ca BIOGEOCHEMISTRY PROJECT UPDATE: SNOW CORES 1989-199go"k PLASTIC LAKE & HARP LAKE APRIL 1993 Ministry of TD Ontario Environment 888 Ps DF and Energy . F56 1993 MOE hro)ect update TD sii,,w ti 1989 1c)92 888 PI,ist Lrlkc <: Hnr 1; L,1Kt' .P8 F56 16160 1993 ISBN 0-7778-0707-6 BIOGEOCHEMISTRY PROJECT UPDATE: - SNOW CORES 1989-1992 PLASTIC LAKE & HARP LAKE APRIL 1993 Cette publication technique n'est disponible qu'en anglais. Copyright: Queen's Printer for Ontario, 1993 This publication may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes with appropriate attribution. PIBS 2276 BIOGEOCHEMISTRY PROJECT UPDATE: - SNOW CORES 1989-1992 PLASTIC LAKE & HARP LAKE Report prepared by: J.G. Findeis, B.D. LaZerte and L.D. Scott Water Resources Branch Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy PREFACE The Unpublished Data Report series is intended as a readily available source of basic data collected for lakes and watersheds in the Nluskoka-Haliburton area of Ontario. These data were collected as part of the Acid Precipitation in Ontario study. The Acid Precipitation in Ontario Study (1979 - present) was initiated, in part, to investigate the effects of the deposition of strong acids on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in Ontario. The primary findings of these studies have been and will continue to be published as reviewed papers and technical reports. i ABSTRACT Snow was collected and analyzed as part of the Biogeochemistry program to determine chemical and hydrological inputs to groundwater flow in two Dorset area watersheds. Graphs of chemistry, snow depth and water equivalence data for the winters of 1989/90, 1990/91 and 1991/92 are included, as is meteorological data for the same time period. Complete data summaries are also included for data collected from January 1988 to April 1992. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page METHODS ................................................... I 1 Snow Sampling ................................................ 1 ............................................ Meteorological Data 2 ........................................... Summary Data Tables 2 Chemistry Graphs .............................................. 3 ............................... Snow Deposition and Weather Graphs 3 REFERENCES ................................................ 3 II III LIST OF FIGURES Chemistry Results Plastic Lake - 1989-1990 ............................................... 4 1. 2. 1990-1991 ............................................... 7 3. 1991-1992 .............................................. 10 Chemistry Results - Harp Lake 4. 1989-1990 .............................................. 13 5. 1990-1991 .............................................. 16 6. 1991-1992 .............................................. 19 Temperature, Precipitation, Snow Depth and Water Equivalence Plastic Lake - 7. 1989-1990 .............................................. 22 8. 1990-1991 .............................................. 23 9. 1991-1992 .............................................. 24 ui Harp Lake 10. 1989-1990 .............................................. 25 11. 1990-1991 .............................................. 26 12. 1991-1992 .:............................................ 27 IV LIST OF TABLES Complete Data Summaries - Plastic Lake PCST11 ................................................ 28 1. 2. PCST14 ................................................ 30 3. PCST16 ................................................ 32 4. PCSZ04 ............................................... 34 5. PCSZ05 ............................................... 36 6. PCSZ07 ............................................... 38 Harp Lake HPST13 ............................................... 40 7. HPST14 ............................................... 42 8. HPST16 ............................................... 44 9. 10. HPSZ04 ............................................... 46 11. HPSZ06 ............................................... 48 12. HPSZ07 ............................................... 50 iv METHODS Snow sampling Methods used for collection of data in this report remain unchanged from those used in a 1989 data report (Ont. Min. Envir., 1989). Snow was collected from the same six sites in both the Harp 5 and Plastic 1-08 watersheds. The Hawkeye Lake study was discontinued in 1989 and no further samples were collected from this watershed. Snow was collected for chemical analysis on a weekly basis during the season for as long as there was a sufficient amount of snow on the ground to provide an uncontaminated sample. Debris falling from trees throughout the winter eventually resulted in contaminated samples as the debris accumulated and the snow pack decreased. Sampling for snow depth and water equivalence of the snow continued until there was no snow left on the ground. This varied from site to site, depending on the aspect of the slopes and the amount of shading from the overstory. All sites were sampled for density and water equivalence on a weekly basis. This was usually done at the same time as chemistry sampling, but the sampling schedule was often increased during periods of rapid change at the sites (see data summaries for exact sampling dates). A visual estimate of percent snow cover was made at each site during each visit. 1